Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 15.djvu/743

 WITTMANN

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WITTMANN

■Wittenborg and the Electoral domain were given to the Albertine line, who retained it until it was trans- ferred to Prussia in 1815.

In 1238 a Franciscan monastery was founded at Wittenberg, and in 136.5 a monastery of the Hermits of St. Augustine. There were two churches, the town-church and the castle-church. In 1892 the lat- ter was restored to its old appearance; it contains fine pictures by the two Lucas Cranachs, and interesting tombs. Since 1858 a Cathohc parish has also existed at Wittenberg. It contains 860 persons; the Prot- estant population numbers 19,500.

The university was founded by Frederick the Wise and was opened, IS Oct., 1502. Professor Martin Polich of Leipzig was its first rector. Funds were pro- vided by the benefices, which belonged to the collegiate chapter of All Saints connected with the ca.stle- church, being increased to eighty; the canons were to be the professors of the university. The theological . faculty became the most distinguished of the four faculties. Luther was a member of it; he first lec- tured on philosophy, and from 1509 he lectured also on theology. On 31 Oct., 1517, he fastened his theses against indulgences on the castle-church. As the students were chiefly from Northern Germany the universit}' was an important factor in the spread of Protestantism. Wittenberg was one of the first cities to accept Luther's doctrine. As early as 25 Oct., 1521, the Augustinians suppressed private Masses. From New Year, 1.522, the Lutheran service was used in the to-mi-church and the communion given under both kinds. In 1.523 Bugonhagen became the first Lutheran pastor of Wittenberg. During Luther's stay at the Wartburg, Carlstadt had begun the Icono- clastic outbreak. Luther, however, hastened back and restored order.

Among the associates of Luther at Wittenberg were: Melanchthon, who in union with Luther reor- ganized the university on a Humanistic basis, reject- ing Scholasticism; Johannes Bugenhagen; Justus Jo- nas; Kaspar Cruciger; Georg Major; and Matthias Flacius IUjtIcus. Although the professors taught, and wrote learned and popular works, which were cir- culated throughout the world by the printers Johann Griinenberg, Melchior Letter, and Hans Lufft, these two occupations were not the limit of their activities. They also went into the different cities to organize the Protestant system of congregations and schools; thus Bugenhagen went to Brunswick, Hamburg, and Hildcsheim; Amsdorf went to Magdeburg; Jonas to Halle and Ratisl)on. .\11 these circumstances made Wittenberg the chief school of Protestant theology. In the doctrinal disputes that soon broke out the posi- tion of the theological faculty had great influence. Among the later theologians should be mentioned: Paul Eber (d. 1.5(39); Leonhard Hutter (d. 1616); .^gidius Bunnhis (d. 1603); Polycarp Ley.ser (d. 1610); Johannes Forster (d. 15.56); and Abraham Ca- lov (d. 1686). Theology was the great study of Wit- tenberg, and it ca.st the other faculties into the shade. Yet the university had also distinguished scholars in the faculty of law: Henning Goden, the last Catholic provost of the castle-church (d. 1.521), and Jerome Schurff (d. 15.54); and in that of medicine: Salomon Alberti (d. 1600), Daniel Sennert (d. 1637), and Konrad Viktor Schneider (d. 1680).

From the beginning of the eighteenth century the fame of the university w.as a thing of the past. The theologians of Wittenberg, who clung to the old and antiquated methods, had no share in the Pietist ic re- vival of Protestantism. In 1815 the university was clo.sed; in 1817 it was united with the University of Halle, which since then h.-i-s been called the University of Halle-Wittenberg. The old university building is now a barrack, while the Augusteum, which also served for university purposes, has been used as a seminary for preachers since 1817. Part of the old

library is at Halle, and part is still kept at the semi- nary for preachers.

ScHiLD, Denkwilrdigkeiten WiUcnhergs (3rd ed., Wittenberg, 1892); Meyneh, GesMchle der Sladl Wittenberg (Dessau. 1845); Album academiiT Wtlebergensis. I-III (Leipzig. 1841; Halle, 1894, 1905) : Willenberger Ordiniertenbuch, ed. Buchwald, I-II (Leip- ■ig, 1894-95).

Klemens Loffler.

Wittmann, Geohge Mich.\el, Bishop-elect of Ratisbon, b. near Plcistein, Oberpfalz, Bavaria, 22 (23?) Jan., 1760; d. at RatLsbon, 8 March, 1833. He studied first with the Jesuits, then with the Benedic- tines at Amberg (1769-78), and at the University of Heidelberg (1778-9). On 21 Dec, 1782, he was ordained priest and after doing parish work at Ken- math, Kaltenbrunn, and Miesbrunn he became pro- fessor and subrcgcns at the diocesan seminary of Ratisbon in 1788 and regens in 1802. From 1804 he was also pastor of the cathedral. In 1829 he was appointed auxiliary Bishop of Ratisbon and conse- crated titular Bishop of Comana. In 1830, when the coadjutor Sailer became ordinary of Ratisbon, Witt- mann was made his vicar-general; and after Sailer's death he was nominated Bishop of Ratisbon, 1 July, 1832, but died before his preconization. He exerted an inestimable influence for good on the candidates (numbering over fifteen hundred) whom he prepared for the priesthood during the forty-five years of his connexion with the seminary. By his zeal, charity, and exemplary Ufe, he gained the affection and esteem of all. He was buried in the cathedral of Ratisbon, where a monument was erected to his memory by Conrad Eberhard. His chief literary works are: "Principia catholica de sacra Scriptura" (Ratisbon, 1793); "Annotationes in Pentateuchum Moysis" (ibid., 179C); "De horarum canonicarum utilitate morali" (.■Augsburg, 1801); "Anmahnung zum celibate" (s. 1., 1804; Ratisbon, 1834); "Con- fes.sarius pro a>tate juveniU" (Sulzbach, 18.32). Witt- mann also prepared with Fencberg a translation of the New Testament (Nuremberg, 1S08; latest edition, Sulzbach, 1878). For a time he availed himself of the services of the Protestant Bible Society of London to spread his translation among the people, but in 1820 he severed all relations with this society.

MiTTERMfTLLER. LebpR vjul WWken des frommen Bisch. Michael WiltTtuinn (Land.shut, 1859); Mehler. Lehensbeschreibung det frommm Bisch. Michael Wittmann (Ratisbon, 1894); Hahn, Bisch. Michael Wittmann, das Bild eines Jrommen und segent- reichen Lebens (Ratisbon, 1860).

Michael Ott.

Wittmann, Patrizus, Catholic journalist, b. at Ellwangen, Wiirtemberg, 4 January, 1818; d. at Munich, 3 October, 1883. He was the son of Johann Wittmann, a stonemason, and his wife Maria Anna Hirschle. His standing as a pupil in the Latin school of his native town gained him a free scholarship in the confirlus attached to the Ehinger g\-mnasium, and eventually led to a similar scholarship in the Wilhelmsstift at Tiibingen. Wishing to become a priest, he devoted his time at the university (1838- 40) to theological and philosophical studies, gained three prizes, and pa.ssed a brilliant examination. His strictly orthodox Catholic views, however, soon brought him into conflict with the Liberal tendencies then prevailing and he was dismissed from the Wil- helmsstift (cf. Herbst, "Gottesgabe", I (Aug.sburg, 1840), 2|. Through Dr. RifTel, professor at Gies.sen, ho obtained emI)lo^■ment on the journal "Sion", published at .Vugsburg under the editorship of Dr. Fcrdinanfl Herbst, pa.stor of the town church. Dr. Diillinger induced Wittmann to issiie his "Die Herr- lichkeit der Kirche in ihren Mi.ssionen seit der Glaub- ensspaltung" (2 vols., Aug.sburg, 1841), which was verj- well received. In 1841 he obtained the degree of Doctor of Philn.sophy and settled at Augsburg, becoming editor-in-chief of the periodical "Sion", and increaaing its circulation. His marriage with a rich